If the tables were turned, I'd watch you die
by felinefriend
Summary: Sawyer's decision find Kate or save Jack.


The title is from The Confidence Man – and we just don't believe Sawyer would watch Jack die … so this is what we came up with. I'm a huge Jack and Sawyer fan – as you can tell if you read this.

"Doc," Sawyer surprisedly said, blinking against the sunlight as the blindfolds were removed from his and Jack's eyes after they were led away from the Others' camp. They had been in captivity for a week and had been kept in total isolation from each other and Kate.

"Sawyer," Jack replied, nodding ever so slightly and adding, "You okay?"

"What? Yeah. Kate?" Sawyer asked.

"Where's Kate?" Jack demanded, glaring at Tom and Henry.

"We still have need of Kate but you're both free to go," Henry replied.

"Free to, look you son of a" Sawyer started.

"We're not leaving without Kate," Jack insisted.

"Jack, you either leave without Kate, or you die. Your choice," Tom spoke up as Sawyer glared at him.

"You ain't getting rid of me that easy Zeke," he angrily said.

"Please. We want to keep things pleasant. We're giving you free passage. We want to send you unharmed back to your camp and your people," Henry continued.

"Kate is one of our people," Jack stubbornly replied.

"We didn't want it to be this way." Ms Klugh said, pulling one of their own confiscated guns, taking aim and firing, hitting Jack in the side as he cried out in surprise and pain, his hands clutching his side as he stumbled back a few steps, feeling sweat dripping from his forehead and face as Sawyer stared at him, saying a confused "Jack" as Jack finally fell to the sand, slowly blinking.

"You want to save him, you better get him back to your camp," Ms Klugh said as Sawyer stared at her then back at Jack who was swimming in and out of consciousness as Henry Gale, Tom and Ms Klugh disappeared into the woods with the others.

"Shit. What the hell do I do now?" Sawyer exclaimed, falling to his knees by Jack.

"What, Jack – tell me what to do!" he a bit panicked said.

"Kate… find Kate," Jack whispered.

"I – doc, listen. I'm a bad person but, hell, I can't leave you here to die," Sawyer said as Jack's eyes met his for a moment.

"Bullet went through…pressure…stop bleeding" Jack weakly said.

"Pressure," Sawyer murmured, glancing around and being surprised as he heard a woman's voice say, "Use this" as he spun around and nearly fell in the process seeing Danielle standing nearby, holding some material.

"You!" he said.

"Sawyer?" Jack murmured.

"We must stop the bleeding and then I will help you get him to my camp," Danielle said.

"Why?" Why would you help us?" Sawyer asked.

"Haven't I warned you all along? Did I not bring Claire back to you?" Danielle asked.

"Alex," Jack murmured then repeated, "Alex" before losing consciousness.

"I must know if you saw her.. if you met her," Danielle replied in a desperate, pained voice as Sawyer stared at her a moment, then took the cloth from her and kneeling back by Jack, putting pressure on the wound to try and stop the bleeding.

Scene 2

"Is he going to make it?" Sawyer asked sitting by a patched up Jack at Danielle's camp.

"I don't know," Danielle replied as Jack moaned, moving restlessly in this feverish state.

"I, we have medicine back at our camp," Sawyer continued.

"I will help you get him back – but please…tell me… Alex, is she there? Danielle asked as Sawyer glanced at her and slowly nodded.

"Yeah, she's there. She's okay," he said.

"Is she… is she one of them?" Danielle quickly continued as Sawyer visibly hesitated.

"Yeah, but no," he said as Danielle gave him a questioning look.

"I mean she's one of them but she's different. She's, she's okay. She doesn't want to hurt anyone," Sawyer finally said as Danielle was silent a moment then nodded.

"Thank you," she finally said as Jack painfully, softly groaned and Sawyer soaked a rag in the bowl of water and draped it over Jack's forehead.

"He's an arrogant, bossy son of a bitch but, everyone at camp – they need him," Sawyer said as Danielle nodded slightly and walked away.

"And hell, remember, you're the closest thing to a friend I've got," Sawyer quietly added as Jack finally seemed to rest easier.

Scene 3

"Stop! I hear something," Danielle whispered as she and Sawyer carried Jack on a make ship stretcher made of one of Danielle's nets.

"What?" Sawyer started.

"Shh," Danielle ordered as they could hear the approaching party and their voices grew louder and clearer.

"Son of a – it's them. Sayid, Locke, the rest of you jokers. Over here. We need help. Doc's hurt," Sawyer called, stepping into the clearing as Sayid, Locke, Eko, Jin and Hurley stared at him in surprise.

"Sawyer," Sayid murmured as Hurley suddenly grinned and rushed over like a bull, wrapping his arms around Sawyer and hugging him, lifting his feet off the ground.

"You're alive," he happily said.

"Not for long if you keep that up Staypuff" Sawyer breathlessly groaned as Hurley finally released him.

"Sorry. I was little excited," he said.

"James. It's good to see you," Locke said extending a hand as Sawyer glanced at him a moment then accepted the hand.

"He's hurt badly?" Eko asked as he knelt by Jack.

"The bastards shot him when we wouldn't go without Kate," Sawyer said.

"Kate?" Jin asked glancing around.

"They still have her. Henry Gale. Zeke and their pals," Sawyer murmured.

"We will get her back but first, we must help Jack," Sayid said.

"Why do you think we're here, Mohammed?" Sawyer asked as Sayid got one end of the stretcher and Eko reached for the other.

"I got it," Sawyer said as Eko glanced at him, then nodded and allowed Sawyer to lift the stretcher as they all but Danielle continued toward camp.

48 hours later

"Sun?" Jack surprisedly murmured, his eyes blinking open as Sun smiled.

"Welcome back, Jack. You've had us all worried," she said as Jack tried to talk, his mouth dry.

"Sawyer and Rousseau…they bought you back," Sun said, helping him drink a small sip of water.

"Is it true what they say? That doctors make the worst patients?" Locke asked as he, Jin, Hurley and Sayid headed into the tent.

"Same old Locke," Jack murmured.

"No, actually Jack, none of us are the same anymore," Sayid said.

"Jack, wel… welcome home," Jin carefully said, bowling slightly at Jack who managed a slight smile.

"Thanks," he murmured then glanced at Sawyer.

"No – you wouldn't," he murmured.

"Sorry, what doc?" Sawyer asked.

"You wouldn't watch me die," Jack quietly replied as Sawyer met his gaze for a moment then glanced away.

"Yeah, well – don't you worry doc. I'm going to head out and look for Kate. I'll find her," he said after clearing his throat.

"No," Jack murmured.

"No? You telling me not to look for Kate, doc?" Sawyer surprisedly and slightly angrily asked.

"Wait… for me to get stronger. We'll find her together," Jack managed.

"You heal, get strong and a group of us – we will find Kate and bring her back. We'll bring her home," Sayid said glancing at the others.

"Home," Jin repeated, taking Sun's hand.

"Right. Home – to her family. We're family," Hurley said.

"I'm ready to go find her "Brother" Jack, so don't take too freaking long," Sawyer said after a moment and walked out as Jack smiled slightly.

"Home," he murmured as Sun helped him to sit up and Charlie, Claire and Rose headed in to visit him.

"Jack and Sawyer…please tell me. How are they?" Kate murmured then added, "Are they alive?"

"They're alive. They're fine. They're here with us Kate and as long as you cooperate with us. But, if you don't cooperate, we'll hurt them and if you still don't cooperate, we'll kill one of them. You wouldn't want to choose which one, would you Kate?" Tom asked.

"Don't hurt them… please," Kate urged.

"You don't want to choose, do you Kate? You couldn't choose, could you?" Tom asked as Kate stared wordlessly at him.

"I'll cooperate – just don't hurt them," she softly murmured.

"We knew you'd come around to see things our way, Kate," Henry Gale said with a smile as he cut loose the ropes around Kate's wrists and led her away.


End file.
